IchixRuki Ichigo's Hard Choice
by Renee N Snider
Summary: After a heartfelt confession from Orihime Ichigo must face his heart. who dose he love? Rukia? or Orihime?


Ichigo's hard decision

Ichigo's hard decision

Ichigo sat in class daydreaming. They had all just returned from the great winter war, their wounds had healed. But now Ichigo had something bigger on his mind. Just before they had left Hueco Mundo…

Flashback

"Kurosaki-Kun…" Orihime mumbled quietly under her breath, she stood in the tower, Ulquiorra's slain body on the tower floor. "Kurosaki-Kun!" Orihime said loudly as he attended to Rukia, who had been brought to the tower and healed by Captain Unohana.

"Inoue," Ichigo said with a smile, "did you need something?" part of Orihime couldn't stand how much Ichigo cared about Rukia, and she felt her heart twinge when he was by her side. _I want him by my side_, Orihime thought to herself.

"Inoue? Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked, Orihime had brcome silent, her eyes clenched shut, she was biting her lip, and she looked as if she was about to cry.

"Inoue?" Ichigo said in a worried tone.

"I love you Kurosaki-Kun!" She shouted so loud it echoed in the tower, everyone in the tower immediately turned to look at Ichigo and Orihime.

"What?" Ichigo said in shock, Rukia was trying to sit up, agent Captain Unohana's orders.

"I love you." She said, tears starting to run down her face

"The Gate had been opened! Let go!" Captain Mayuri shouted.

"You heard him let's go!" Ichigo said lifting Rukia onto his back.

"Ichigo, I can walk myself." Rukia protested.

"No, you heard Captain Unohana, she said to relax and let us take care of you, your not walking, your too week." Ichigo nagged.

"Who are you calling week!" Rukia shouted grabbing the Ichigo's ears and yanking on them.

"Ow! Dammit! Rukia cut it out! That hurts!" Ichigo shouted, shaking his head trying to free his ears. Orihime only watched her hand over her aching heart. As they ran threw the gate back to their world.

Back to Ichigo in present time

"I just don't know what to do." Ichigo said to himself, he glanced over at Rukia, who was drawing in class, then he glanced over to Orihime, who was either paying a lot of attention or just as spaced out as he was. "I care a lot about Orihime, and I don't wanna hurt her, but Rukia, has always been by my side, and I cant stand it when she leaves, things just don't feel right without that bratty midget at my side. Heh, look at me, Orihime told me she was in love with me, and all I can do is think of Rukia… guess that helps me with my decision." The bell for lunch rang and Ichigo was still so spaced out he fell over when Keigo jump on his back.

"Ichigo! Ichigo! Are you ok?" Keigo asked.

"Ichigo! What's the matter wit you?" Rukia asked

"Kurosaki-Kun, are you ok? You took a nasty fall." Orihime said.

"What?" he groaned, "were am I? This isn't the class room." Ichigo stated sitting up.

"Rukia, caught you after you hit your head, then she dragged you here" Orihime said, staring down at her feet.

"Rukia?" Ichigo groaned, "heh, thanks Midget, I ow you one I guess."

"Then I'll take that one now, what's the matter with you Ichigo?" Rukia asked concerned.

"It's nothing really, don't worry about it." Ichigo insisted.

"Are you calling me dumb Ichigo?" Rukia asked crossing her arms.

"What! No! I'm not calling you dumb Rukia." Ichigo replied.

"You think I don't know you? Your not the type to just space out, you usually have something crucial on your mind when you go into your own little world." Rukia said bonking him on the head. Ichigo looked away from Rukia, and Orihime.

"Ichigo, what's wrong?" Rukia asked again. Ichigo just kept looking away. "Fine, if you wont tell me, I'll have to beat it out of you." Rukia threatened before grabbing Ichigo by his shirt collar, and hurling him into a wall.

"Oi! What! OUCH!! What the hell Midget!" Ichigo shouted, Rukia just grabbed his hair and dragged him out of the office and to the school roof.

"Now spill! What's wrong?" Rukia demanded.

"Noting! Can't I just go into my own little world in peace, we almost just died… and… and…" Ichigo suddenly got quiet again, Keigo and Orihime were watching from behind the roof access door.

"And what? Ichigo." Rukia asked taking a few steps closer to Ichigo.

"I almost lost you." Ichigo said turning away from her.

"What do you mean?" Rukia asked.

"I felt it, your reatsu disappear, back when we were at Las Noches…Rukia, I didn't realize it until the tower…" Ichigo said pausing again.

"You mean the tower, were we rescued Orihime from?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah." Ichigo said, he turned to Rukia, "Rukia… I…" Ichigo grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I love you…" he whispered.

"Ichigo, you Baka." Rukia replied tears forming in the corners of her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Ichigo. They pulled away just for a moment, and stared into each other's eyes.

"Ichigo, you don't know how happy I am to hear that." Rukia said softly, her voice full of joy. Ichigo leaned in and gently kissed Rukia's lips.

"What about Orihime?" Rukia asked, "This is going to break her heart."

"Well find some way to tell her." Ichigo said grabbing Rukia's hands and lacing his finger with hers.

"Orihime!" Rukia said in shock. Ichigo turned his head to the door, Orihime had opened it all the way, tears streaming down her cheek.

"Inoue…" Ichigo said quietly, he felt horrible for making her cry.

"Congratulations…" Orihime said sobbing, she ran down the stairs

"Orihime!" Rukia shouted chasing after her.When Rukia finally caught up to her she was crying under a tree. "Orihime, I'm so sorry, I didn't want you to find out like that."

"Why didn't you tell me." Orihime asked, "I feel like such a idiot."

"He just confessed to me today on the roof, and I've had strong feelings fro Ichigo sense we meet, and he took my powers." Rukia said her cheeks tinting red, and a small smile on her face.

"What about Renji?" Orihime asked.

"What about him?" Rukia replied.

"I thought he liked you, and you liked him back." Orihime said.

"No, Renji is like my brother, we grew up together, we helped raise each other, there's noting between Renji and I." Rukia answered.

"Rukia! Inoue!" Ichigo shouted, catching up to them, "dang you two are fast, took me a while to find you." Ichigo said sitting next to Orihime. Rukia got up and left, she new they needed to talk alone.

"Kuchiki-san is really great, isn't she." Orihime said looking away from Ichigo.

"Yeah, she is, but you no I still care a lot about you Inoue." Ichigo said.

"But you care more about Kuchiki-san." Orihime said.

"I care about you both the same, but in different ways, Rukia just gets me, you've seen her, she can make me spill my guts no matter how hard I protest, she changed my world, and she has always been by my side. But Inoue your still very special to me." Ichigo said looking sweetly at Orihime.

"I am?" Orihime asked.

"Yeah, I'd hate to lose either one of you from my life, your both just as important to me" Ichigo replied. Orihime stared deeply into Ichigo's brown eyes, she quickly kissed his lips so softly.

"Kurosaki-kun." Orihime whispered.

"Inoue." Ichigo said his gentle smile fading, "I'm sorry." She said standing up, and walking away. He walked into the school Rukia was waiting for him in the hall.

"Ready to back to class Ichigo?" she asked.

"Yeah." Ichigo smiled, he smiled happily before going into the classroom with her.


End file.
